Dreaming of a stylish looking beard but don’t have enough hair on your face? Here is some good news for you. Hair transplant can be done on your face just like it can be done on a bald head so that you can have that “beardo” look that many men are craving for today. Beard implants can be taken from the hind part of your head and once done, your beard will grow just like the natural one.
What is a beard implant?
Just like any hair implant or hair transplant, beard implants refer to the follicles taken from the scalp (typically from the back of the head) that will be craft-fully and carefully placed on any part or the whole beard. Beard transplant can involve any or all of the following:
- Mustache hair implants
- Sideburns
- Goatee
- Cheeks
- Lower part of the jaw
- Below the lower lip etc.
Just like regular (scalp) hair transplant, beard transplant is done using any of the following methods:
- FUE – Follicular Unit Extraction
- FUT – Follicular Unit Transplantation
FUE for beard transplant
Follicular Unit Extraction involves the following steps:
- Trimming the hair in the donor area
- Administering anaesthesia to the donor site
- Extracting hair follicles with a special device and collecting them in a petri dish type of container.
- Implanting the extracted follicles in target location.
- Bandaging the donor site and target locations as needed.
FUT for beard transplant
Follicular Unit Transplant involves the following steps:
- Trimming the hair in the donor area
- Administering anaesthesia to the donor site
- Marking and removing skin patches from the donor site along with hair follicles
- Extracting the hair follicles from the skin graft
- Suturing the donor site
- Implanting the hair follicles in the target area.
How many hair follicles are needed for beard implantation?
Around 2000 to 5000 hair follicles are required to grow a natural looking beard. However, this varies from person to person based on whether it is a partial beard that the person is missing or a complete beard implant.
In case of facial hair transplant, the moustache area requires around 350 to 500 hair follicles. Goatee may need around 700 hair follicles while the sideburns will need 250 follicles each side. Growing a beard on the cheeks will require around 700 follicles. If the density required is higher, the follicles count would go up.
Success of beard implants
The first sign of success for any hair transplant procedure is, neither the donor nor the target area getting inflamed and infected. Inflammation after the procedure is very common and should be expected to last for a few days. If the inflammation doesn’t go down and when you see pus or any other fluid leaking from the sites, you must know that the area is infected and needs immediate doctor’s attention.
Expect a few follicles to fall off during recovery. After around 3 months, you will be able to see good growth of hair in the implanted area.
Beard transplant cost in Chennai, India
The maximum cost for a full beard implant can cost around Rs.2,00,000 at FG Plastic Surgery Clinic or any other good plastic surgery clinics in Chennai, India. The cost will significantly vary on either side as the requirements change.
Before the cost, what you need to make sure for a successful beard implant surgery:
- Look for a highly experienced specialist in hair transplant procedures.
- A hospital that maintains 100% hygiene failing which the surgery would be a disaster.
Alternatives for beard implants
- Minoxidil (Rogaine) – This helps in hair growth not only on the scalp but also on the face too. The drawback of Minoxidil is that the growing hair stops after stopping the application of the medicine.
- Supplements – You need to talk to your doctor for supplements that can help you in hair growth . L-carnitine and L-tartrate can also boost hair growth.
- Adapting to better lifestyle habits including quitting smoking, eating a rich diet, consuming less alcohol, regular workout and a good night sleep.
